Creating the formation for laying railway tracks can be a formidable job. However, with the right earthmoving equipment, it becomes easily negotiable. The Cat 320D excavator has been simplifying the challenges for Agarwal Enterprises, which does earthwork to create embankments.

We are colonisers, developers and railway contractors, doing bridgework and earthwork, facilitating the formation for laying railway tracks. The task becomes challenging when large areas of hilly terrain need to be cut and made fit for creating formation embankments. I purchased the Cat 320D in September 2013 and it has indeed lived up to all expectations, negotiating the rugged terrain with ease and giving an excellent work output, says Kamalnayan Agarwal, Propreitor, Agarwal Enterprises, who first started working with the Railways, and has 26 years of experience in the field. The company, with a workforce of 300-400 and are supervised by 25 management staff, is based at Betul in Madhya Pradesh.

Agarwal says, ?The Cat 320D excavator is being used for earthwork, cutting soil and loading into dumpers. It was purchased specifically for this role as different types of strata comprising soft soil and rocks require a robust machine. The rocks are classified into those require blasting and the ones which do not require blasting. The blasted rocks are loaded by the Cat 320D and the ones do not require blasting are directly excavated and loaded by the sturdy and powerful bucket.?

?Excellent power, smooth functioning, faster output and more productivity make the Cat 320D an essential asset for our company. Hard to excavate material can also be worked upon easily,? adds Agarwal. ?Diesel consumption is slightly on the higher side, but when it excavates harder substances in less time as compared to other machines, it compensates for the extra fuel consumed. The 320D has an excellent, power-packed hydraulic system. Since the bucket can directly be used for excavation of soft rocks, blasting expenses also get reduced to a great extent.

?Operator feedback is positive. Though relatively new, operators are happy about the high performance of the Cat 320D and its state-of-the-art cabin environment. High safety standards and lowered noise levels make it conducive for putting in long hours of work,? observes Agarwal.

He is upbeat about the high productivity gains of the Cat 320D. Being a first-generation entrepreneur, he is quick to sum up his gains, ?Excavation and loading cost comes to Rs 17-18 per cu m. While other machines compare equally well, I have chosen the Cat 320D for its harder rock excavation capability even though the fuel consumption averages on the higher side. The odds get evened out when it simplifies our work and makes it possible to complete our projects faster, which itself translates into substantial gains.?

The criteria for selection of a worthy excavator was heavily influenced by the market trends, but experience in the field helped Agarwal pick the Cat 320D as much for its versatility as for catering to specific performance requirements. Says Agarwal, ?I have been in this business for a long time, and had three Tata Hitachi excavators. When I decided to go in for a new machine, I looked up the possible options.I became familiar with the Cat 320D through the GMMCO team. We did a comparative study of all brands and saw the Cat advantage. Hence, we went in for the Cat 320D.?

Agarwal vouches for the high productivity and excellent durability of the Cat 320D. ?Durability is an asset as it prevents frequent machine breakdown due to wear and tear of machine parts. Fuel efficiency though slightly higher, becomes negligible when compared to its high rate of productivity. The Cat 320D has definitely lived up to my expectations. A life expectancy of 17,000-18,000 hours is excellent as compared to 9,000-10,000 hours life expectancy of other machines. Even after that, the Cat 320D fetches an excellent resale value. The good news is that you don?t need to look around for a buyer as Caterpillar has a buy-back policy, which makes things much more hassle-free financially too.?

While selecting a machine, prompt and efficient after-sales service is often checked out and has a lot of bearing on maximum uptime. The local Cat dealer team has spared no effort to live up to Agarwal?s expectations. ?The Cat dealer team has been regularly servicing the machine and has plugged problems before they developed fully. In this respect, they have been extremely pro-active and have worked hard to keep the machine working in peak condition at all times. They are friendly and efficient, thereby forging a pleasant partnership with us. Adequate training has been provided for our operators to run the machine smoothly and carefully.?

?The Cat dealer team has been providing exceptional service to us. I recall one such instance where we couldn?t work due to loosened bolts in the track chain of the 320D. We had tight deadlines and any delay meant loss of income as well as credibility. The dealer team reacted and solved the problem within 24 hours, which was a great relief, and we could complete our project on time.?

Agarwal is optimistic about reaching his financial goals with the reliable partnership of the Cat320D. He bought a second machine in December 2013 to cope with his expanding business.

Excellent power, smooth functioning, faster output and more productivity make the Cat 320D an essential asset for the company.